Roman ruins in Shahat, Libya. February 28, 2011.
"This was my most peaceful day in Libya. I stumbled upon a group of Libyans picnicking over a view of the western mountains. It was a moment that made you forget about the uprising. "Ed Ou—The New York Times
At just 24 years old, Ed Ou is repped by Reportage by Getty Images, gotten front page stories in the New York Times, and now has won the Young Reporter Award at Perpignan, the international photojournalism festival, for his photos of young Somali soldiers.
While most of his contemporaries are taking on their first assignments, Ou, who was born in Taiwan, grew up in Canada and the US, is already a seasoned journalist. He started working for AP and Reuters as a teenager while studying International Politics and Hebrew in Jerusalem, juggling his classes and shooting the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah whenever he could.He continued to multi-task while studying Arabic in the Middle East, where he shot the fall of Islamic courts. “It was a lot of daily news coverage, and ‘feeding the beast,'”says Ou. “Good training when you’re starting out.”
Ou spoke with TIME about some of his work from the past year, what photographers he admires and where he’d like to go next.
How does it feel to win the City of Perpignan Young Reporter Award?
I am quite honored and it’s something I never expected. I am very excited for another opportunity to get the story out.
You won this award for your photos of child soldiers in Somalia. Any thoughts on the situation there?
Its very difficult to sum up Somalia into a few words. I am still constantly changing my views on the place. Sometimes I am hopeful that one day there will be peace, other days I find myself depressingly pessimistic.
Who was the work here shot for?
I started on the project myself when I was working in Somalia on another story. While following refugees from Somalia to Yemen by boat, I discovered these kids manning a checkpoint by the side of the road in Mogadishu. I spent a few hours with them. When I left, I told Jeffrey Gettleman, the New York Times East Africa bureau chief about it, we decided that it’s a high-impact story worth going back for.
Who nominated you?
I think it’s the New York Times. David Furst and Michele McNally. I am humbled by the amount of trust they put in me. The quality, breadth, and depth of the papers reporting pushes me to dig deeper and try to be a better journalist.
How is living in the Middle East?
It’s a very dynamic region, and a culture that took a while to learn to navigate. At times, it’s very difficult to work there. I don’t exclusively work there, but its obviously been quite a busy region, and it’s where I started as a journalist.
How does your family feel about what you do and where you live?
My parents are coming around. It’s funny– there were times when I was in Libya and Egypt, and they would look at the New York Times and call to warn me about areas to stay away from, based on facts we filed. Thanks, Dad. I know.
Any close calls?
Scary things have happened in Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Iraq, but I try to be as cautious as I can. Knock on wood.
Can you tell us who your influences are?
Since I never really studied photography, it’s a bit embarrassing to say that I didn’t really know about that many photographers starting out. The people who influenced me the most were the wire photographers I saw shooting every day and who mentored me when I was working. People like Emilio Morenatti, David Guttenfelder, Finbarr O’Reilly and Kevin Frayer.
Being so young in a competitive field, do you ever get any grief from older photographers?
I owe a lot to older photographers who took me under their wing in the field and taught me everything I know about journalism. There’s a lot to learn from people older than you. That said, journalism is in such a state of flux, I think the new generation has to carve their own path in this field, and not rely on the precedents of what journalism used to be. Also– Ron Haviv won’t stop making fun of me for wearing sandals. He calls me ‘flip flop.’ That’s not very nice.
What setup (camera, lens, etc.) are you working with?
I have a canon 5D mark2, and a prime (fixed) lens. I travel pretty light.
Do you have a dream assignment?
Yeah! I’d like to spend time exploring places in Central Asia, like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan or Tajikistan, following the Old Silk Road to China. I think a lot of what got me into journalism was the ability to explore places that you read about in books—but never had an excuse to travel to.
Who are the other young photographers you like out there?
To name a few I’ve been really inspired by the work of good friends, Dominic Nahr, Kitra Cahana, and Maisie Crow. I really like the fact that they are so grounded in the stories they work on.
What would you tell to other young aspiring photojournalists who want to follow in your footsteps?
Photography is the easy part. I think it’s important to spend your time learning as much as you can about places, politics, stories, religion, languages, and different cultures. You have to pick stories that you are personally interested in, as opposed to what you think you should be covering. When you start out, you will unlikely to have support from publications, so it’s important that you are satisfying your own curiosity and thirst for knowledge. That gives you the conviction, and maintains the drive, to keep working on a story.
What’s next for your career?
I want to be able to find a balance between shooting assignments and working on stories that I’m interested in. Fortunately, I’ve been able to balance both so far, but it’s tough. I’ve been working a lot in the Middle East and Horn of Africa, but I want to explore more, go to new regions and see more parts of the world. I’ve also considered going back to school and getting a masters—I think it would be helpful in grounding myself and add a layer of understanding and adding context to the things I’ve seen.
Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt. February 3, 2011.
"This was the second day of large scale clashes between anti-government protesters and Mubarak supporters. It was also the beginning of a systematic campaign to attack journalists. I had spent the night trapped in Tahrir, because it was surrounded by angry mobs who would attack journalists and anyone they deemed to be against the government. This was in the early morning on a roof that the protesters had taken over."Ed Ou—The New York TimesCairo, Egypt. May 19, 2011.
"In mid May, tensions between Muslim groups and Coptic Christians peaked, where clashes led to deaths and burning of churches. I shot this during a sit-in of Coptic Christians."Ed Ou—The New York TimesTahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt. February 1, 2011.
"Because there were so many photographers in Tahrir, every day was a challenge to find different angles, to show another view of how the protesters organized themselves. This is a charging station where people could bring their mobile phones and laptop to charge."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesCairo, Egypt. February 11, 2011.
"I shot this photo on Friday, about twenty minutes before the announcement that Mubarak would resign. He had made a defiant speech the night before, refusing to step down. The day started out very tense – people did not know if the violence would escalate, but when I shot the photo right at sunset, there was a strange calm in the streets."Ed Ou—The New York TimesSanaa, Yemen. January 10, 2010.
"The old city of Sanaa is like no other place in the world. My favorite time to wander around would be at night when rolling blackouts knocked out the power for most of the city. Televisions, fluorescent lights, and any hints of modernity would stop working and it was easy to forget which century I was in."Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty ImagesBenghazi, Libya. March 4, 2011.
"I tried as much as I could to shoot daily life in Libya while I was there. Given the daily nature of working for a newspaper, I had to find a way to shoot something new every single day. It was actually quite stressful. That day, I tried to follow fisherman as they went out to fish – but once hostilities began, they were worried about being attacked out at sea."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesDarna, Libya. March 7, 2011.
"In many parts of Libya, Gaddafi had been reduced to a caricature of himself. I shot this during a televised speech, and I found it funny that people would follow along for a few minutes, and then tune out. "
Ed Ou—The New York TimesBenghazi, Libya. February 27, 2011.
"In Benghazi, families of those killed by Gaddafi's regime would wander the streets carry portraits of their loved ones. Many portraits were quite old. People would constantly remind me that while people were being killed in the current conflict, the forgotten victims are those who spoke out during the regime and disappeared."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesDarna, Libya. March 7, 2011.
"Gaddafi's government had often tried to push their narrative that the rebellion in Libya was driven by Islamic fundamentalists. So writer Anthony Shadid and I went to Darna, a supposed 'hotbed' of militant activity."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesShahat, Libya. February 28, 2011
Opposition youth stand atop a military tank lying in a field after violence in the uprising. "I spent a lot of my time exploring the east, and found tanks from the recent fighting backdropped against the forests and Roman ruins. It is in these forests that the Libyan resistance battled the Italians."Ed Ou—The New York TimesRoman ruins in Shahat, Libya. February 28, 2011.
"This was my most peaceful day in Libya. I stumbled upon a group of Libyans picnicking over a view of the western mountains. It was a moment that made you forget about the uprising. "
Ed Ou—The New York TimesNorthern Somaliland. March 4, 2010
Refugees enroute to Yemen walk along the countryside in northern Somaliland after their car breaks down. "We had been driving north all day, when pouring rain slowly turned the earth into mud. We had to walk the rest of the way until the next village. With no light, I had to time each one of my exposures to the lightning flickering in the background." Every year, thousands of people risk their lives crossing the Gulf of Aden to escape from conflict, violence, persecution, and poverty in the Horn of Africa.Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty ImagesBoroma, Somaliland. March 4, 2010.
"This was the beginning of a journey that would span one of the longest months of my life. We had just left a town in Somaliland to make our way illegally across the Djiboutian border, and onto a boat to Yemen. I never made it to Yemen." Ed’s boat broke down halfway. He then floated back to Djibouti, where he was then arrested and deported from the country.
Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty ImagesMogadishu, Somalia April 24, 2010
Fighting for the Transitional Federal Government, 15-year-old Ahmed Hassan listens to the radio in his room. Ahmed said he was sent to Uganda to get training when he was 12. He said he had been shot by the Shabab, the most powerful insurgent group. "For journalists working in Somalia, you're often working on busy streets surrounded by ten armed guards protecting you. This was the quietest and least stressful moment I can remember."
Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty Images/The New York TimesSomaliland. March 5, 2010.
Exhausted refugees enroute to Yemen sleep in the desert. "We had been traveling all night long, braving rain, mud, and fatigue. By the time we got to dry ground, everyone just stopped in the middle of the ground and passed out."
Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty ImagesBaghdad, Iraq. May 2, 2011.
"This group of forensic anthropologists had the grisly task of excavating mass graves found throughout Iraq, and identifying exhumed remains, some decades old. In the same morgue, fresh bodies of those killed in conflict streamed in."
Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty Images/ICRCRiyadh, Saudi Arabia. May 23, 2011.
"Upper class Saudi youth dare each other inch closer and closer to the ledge of a high-rise building in Riyadh. In country with a high standard of living but very few options for entertainment (cinemas and clubs are banned), Saudi youth resort to the most random things to entertain themselves."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesUzbek enclave near Osh, Kyrgyzstan. June 17, 2010.
"Ethnic Uzbeks painted a large SOS symbol on a soccer field, hoping that planes from Uzbekistan would see them and heed their call for help, when ethnic violence broke out between the Kyrgyz majority and Uzbek minority in Kyrgyzstan."
Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty ImagesAmbatomby, Madagascar. July 12, 2010.
"I photographed the famidihana, a ritual in Madagascar where families exhume the bodies of their dead ancestors and dance around with them, as a way of paying respect. In a year of photographing in conflict zones and authoritarian regimes, it was one of the easiest and least politically charged stories I've worked on."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesHazolava, Madagascar. July 14, 2010.
During wintertime, Malagasy boys undergo circumcision to mark their transition to manhood. Family members here cook a meal after the procedure. "Stocks of corn would be hung from the ceiling of kitchens in Madagascar, so the smoke from the oven would dry out the corn."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesHazolava, Madagascar. July 14, 2010.
"The blood from a child streams down the earth after a ritual circumcision in Madagascar. During the ritual, the man who performs the circumcision eats the foreskin of the baby…usually with a banana."
Ed Ou—The New York TimesNairobi, Kenya. August. 6, 2010.
A Somali woman walks past a church in Eastleigh, a largely Somali neighborhood. Since the Somali government fell in the early '90s, millions of Somalis have taken refuge in neighboring Kenya. "Eastleigh has become a hub of Somali commerce and trade in East Africa with dozens of money transfers bureaus, travel agents, and banks which serve Somalis in Mogadishu and all over the diaspora."Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty Images/SternNairobi, Kenya. August. 4, 2010.
Relatives of alleged Somali pirate Ahmed Adan Warsame, who is currently awaiting trial in Germany after the hijack of a German vessel in the Gulf of Aden, sit in their home.
Ed Ou—Reportage by Getty Images/Stern
